James Naughtie: The USA, from Reagan to Trump (2020 Event)

Over the years that James Naughtie has been reporting on world
politics, the USA has undergone seismic changes. Naughtie first
visited the States in 1970 as a student, when the Vietnam War was
raging and Richard Nixon was in the Oval Office. Since then,
Naughtie has grown into one of the BBC’s best-respected reporters
and has covered every election since the triumph of Ronald
Reagan.


After the fall of the Berlin Wall, it appeared that the US would
reign as the world’s only superpower – leading to Francis
Fukuyama’s suggestion that this may be ‘the end of history.’ But
a rapid rise of Chinese economic and political power, combined
with the election of a president whose slogan is ‘America First’
has led to a period of US nativism, and a country where
(according to Naughtie), self-doubt has crept in.


On the Road is Naughtie’s compelling memoir of his American
experiences during this period of change. In this event recorded
live at the 2020 Book Festival, he discusses his adventures – and
a rollercoaster half-century of USA life - with fellow BBC
journalist Allan Little.